Wardrobe Styling – November 09

The November issue of ‘Sew Today’ (UK BMV magazine) has arrived, so it’s wardrobe planning fun time again 😀

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Note : Butterick-McCall’s-Vogue has changed their websites. My BMV links now only get you to a page where you can search for a pattern number.
I apologise that I haven’t changed to the new individual URLs, but it would be a lot of work.

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The focus in this issue is on dresses. As I rarely wear them these days, I leave out much that others would love. I do think the Chado Ralph Rucci Vogue 1135 dress is stunning. But I haven’t got the shape or personality to wear it, let alone the lifestyle. . .

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For a top pattern, I would happily own several of this tucked tunic/ shirt, McCall’s 5976. A familiar style, modernised by the longer length and full sleeves. I would make the band collar version to go under other clothes in this group.

McCall’s 5973 is a dress pattern which could easily shorten to a tunic. It has options for an inset front which I like. The ‘V-neck bands and midriff’ style is worn by TV presenters as well as in the supermarket, so it’s still trendy. And a neat midriff looks good on me. Or leave out the midriff pattern piece for an empire effect, which is seen so often it could count as a modern classic.

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For a fitted jacket, how about this Chado Ralph Rucci Vogue 1144. I love mandarin collars. Like many of his patterns there is interesting seaming, this time on the back. With my short waist, this would need a lot of fiddling with a muslin to get it right, and the help of a fitting buddy. Probably not a good pattern for people with back fitting problems !

And I would definitely leave off those large hip pockets. Not ideal for the pear shaped. The silhouette is long and slim, very current. As is the touch of military styling given by the pockets and collar. A band/ mandarin/ funnel collar is current anyway.

And there’s also McCall’s 5981, which has an interesting collar for a parka. Though it has a very low neck for a coat, presumably worn more for style than warmth. I would flare this a bit, to be more flattering for my pear shape.

Both these jackets have large collars which would go well over the necklines of the tops and fitted jacket. So these styles make a ‘wardrobe’ by being compatible to wear together.

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The Ralph Rucci Vogue 1144 pattern includes pants with a slim line, which is current and goes with all the tops. The waist is at waist level with no waistband, which suits me well. Though a side seam zip is not good on my high hip curves. I would move the zip to centre back. The vertical emphasis of the styling looks as if it might flatter those of us with larger hips (20 is the largest pattern size). And it could be a challenge to fit over high hips. All the styling details mean that making these pants would not be a quick project !

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Party time is approaching. For anyone who goes to so many formal events they need a special occasions capsule wardrobe, I think Butterick 5419 could be very useful.

Add the coverups from Elizabeth Gillett’s Vogue 8622 and you would have a huge range of combinations from just two patterns. Or, with the right fabric choice, I think I would happily wear one of these coverups over a ‘day dress’ to many evening events.

Personally, as I prefer to keep warm, I would choose Vogue 1290 if I needed a ‘formal’ wardrobe. Not a new pattern. This has been available for so long there aren’t any online line diagrams, but it’s still pretty.

For informal occasions, as transparency is current, a chiffon version of the tucked shirt (McCall’s 5976) would be good party wear for me. Though I’m always concerned about modesty and tidiness of what’s under transparency. Perhaps I’d wear a chiffon big shirt over matching turtleneck and pants.

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For accessories, I don’t know if it’s fashionable, but it would be fun to find out if I look good in a giant beret, Vogue 8528. I think one of these would look good with the tucked shirt, the Chado Ralph Rucci jacket, or the scarf jacket. Even, on some people but not me, with the Vogue 1290 evening wardrobe. Well, I don’t know, I sometimes think I would like to wear clothes that make me laugh 😀

And again of course all this planning is just for a dream world. . .

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There’s a relevant newsletter from Marcy Tilton. She links to fabric suggestions for some of these patterns, some of the patterns I liked in October, some of the patterns I like but didn’t pick for these wardrobes.

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Note : After this post WordPress sometimes automatically generates a link to a review of Marie Clayton’s book about Pattern Maker. My review of the book is at here at Pattern Review.

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This entry was posted on November 1, 2009 at 9:31 am and is filed under my choices, wardrobe planning. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.